Corrections to 30 Japanese English words and phrases
People in Japan use a lot of borrowed English words and phrases. Most of them have the same meaning in Japanese as they do in English. But there are also a lot of "Japanese English" words and phrases which sound like English, but are used differently. Here are some correct English phrases which learners in Japan often replace with Japanese English terms.
If you're from Japan, see if you can figure out which Japanese English phrases each of these correspond to:
- find an electrical outlet to plug my laptop into
- get laid off
- play video games
- have an inferiority complex
- adjust your rear-view mirror
- fruit-flavored chewing gum
- put on a pair of shorts
- wear a dress shirt
- white-collar workers
- I'm going to give it a try.
- (At a restaurant) There are so many choices!
- I go in (to the doctor's office) for regular checkups every year.
- I'll turn on the A.C.
- I bought a new computer.
- My friend's band is having a show this weekend.
- It looks like the library is being renovated.
- She looks really done-up.
- If he doesn't let me return it, I'm going to complain to his manager.
- Please sign up for my email newsletter.
- Can you type the address into the GPS?
- There were Christmas lights hung up all around town.
- They have an all-you-can-eat buffet.
- Can I get your signature here on the dotted line?
- What's up with you today? You're acting so hyper.
- I think I've got the flu.
- The younger employees tend to put in a lot of overtime.
- Can I use your pen?
- They look like twins.
- Hey, look — they have soft-serve ice cream!
- I have class until 3:30, and after that I have to go to work until 10.
Japanese readers, make your guesses in the comments below. Readers from other countries, do you have confusing English loanwords in your native language which cause problems when you use them with native English speakers?
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